The Highveld Lions beat the Warriors by nine wickets with more than 10 overs to spare in their Domestic Championship match at Sedgars Park in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
The Lions innings was interrupted by a heavy downpour just five runs short of victory, but they returned an hour later for Stephen Cook to score the winning runs in the 35th over. Cook ended the day on 90 not out.
Other notable scores came from Justin Ontong who hammered 37 off 31 balls and opener Alviro Petersen struck 66 off 76 balls before being caught by Zander de Bruyn in the covers off spinner Johan Botha. He and Cook together added 150 for the first wicket in just 25 overs as they took the bowling apart.
Earlier, the Warriors collapsed from 170 for three to 216 all out.
Captain De Bruyn (53) and Arno Jacobs (63) stabilised the score for the Warriors with their fourth-wicket stand of 104 off 116 balls. They came together at 66 for three and played solidly until De Bruyn was dismissed by Friedel de Wet.
Jacobs had looked in commanding form as he stroked four fours and two sixes off 69 deliveries, but he was caught behind off slow left-armer Claude Henderson two overs later and the Warriors innings then fell away.
Botha batted well at the death to score 28 off 26 balls before being caught on the midwicket boundary off De Wet in the last over.
HD Ackerman scored 29 and then sent the ball straight down De Wet’s throat at deep backward square-leg.
Openers Murray Goodwin (9) and Justin Kreusch (4) were both dismissed in the first seven overs, the Zimbabwean being caught behind off Tyron Henderson and the former Border captain being deceived by a slower ball from Garnett Kruger.
Tyron Henderson was the pick of the Lions bowlers, finishing with two for 28 in his nine overs, but he was aided by the good work of Kruger (two for 36) and De Wet, who kept chipping away to finish with three wickets. – Sapa